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Nicholls culinary chief under fire

Administrators will seek ethics ruling.

Daniel McBrideStaff Writer

Published: Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at 11:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at 11:29 a.m.

THIBODAUX — The head of Nicholls State’s cooking school may have violated ethics laws and university policies by using the program’s resources to cater his stepdaughter’s wedding reception, the state inspector general alleges.

In response, university administrators said they plan to ask the state Ethics Board for a ruling on whether any laws were broken.

Inspector General Stephen Street, in a report posted Monday on his office’s Web site, alleges Alton Doody, dean of the John Folse Culinary Institute, may have improperly used university resources for personal reasons.

The report says Doody used school kitchens, equipment, faculty and students to provide food at his step-daughter’s May 2008 wedding reception in New Orleans.

Doody paid for all of the services out of his own pocket, according to the inspector general.

But Louisiana law prohibits public employees from accepting “anything of economic value” for work related to their state jobs.

The reception work may have also violated both Nicholls and University of Louisiana System policies, the report says. Nicholls policy prohibits the use of the university’s “name, facilities or equipment” for personal gain. Both Nicholls and its college system require that university employees disclose outside employment in writing, something that wasn’t done in this case.

In written responses, Doody and Nicholls President Stephen Hulbert both said one reason for the New Orleans event was to advance Nicholls’ reputation in that city.

“It seemed like a very positive way to showcase the culinary institution,” Hulbert said. “But in the final analysis, that doesn’t make it right. We’ve got to determine with the Board of Ethics whether or not it was appropriate to do that.”

University administrators chose to request a decision from the Ethics Board rather than accepting recommendations made in the state inspector general’s report.

The report calls for action against Doody and the culinary-school faculty members he allegedly paid for wedding-reception services. Those employees are Randolph Cheramie, George Kaslow, Donald Kasten and John Kozar.

n Cheramie, Kaslow, Kasten and Kozar should return the money they received for catering the reception.

n Nicholls should ensure that its employees know they aren’t allowed to use university property for personal gain or receive outside money for work related to their school duties.

n Nicholls should ensure its employees know about and understand the paperwork that discloses such outside payments.

n Nicholls employees should ensure the tasks they are asked to perform fall within their official duties. If employees have doubts, they should seek guidance from university officials.

In a news release, Nicholls officials say some of these changes have already been made following an internal audit after they first heard of the allegations in May.

“For that reason, the university administration agrees with the general findings of the Office of the Inspector General” but “not necessarily ... with some of the Inspector General’s interpretations of these facts,” Nicholls’ administration said in a news release issued Monday.

Some of the changes include a request by Hulbert that the university’s internal auditor investigate employee habits with forms disclosing payments from outside the university. Nicholls officials also said they are committed to educating employees about personal use of university resources and outside payments.

Hulbert said if the Board of Ethics decides that payments to the four university faculty members were illegal and inappropriate, then the university will require them to return the money and “ensure the appropriate disciplinary action is taken.”

The inspector’s report also includes the results of an investigation into Doody’s time sheets.

Doody is frequently away from campus. According to the report, he is sometimes allowed to work from his home in New Orleans as well as his summer home in Michigan.

Because of these circumstances, Doody developed a plan with university administrators to track his work hours through time sheets and activity logs.

Between June 9 and Aug. 15, Doody recorded 81.5 hours on the phone, including some conversations lasting up to three hours. Doody could not provide phone records to prove these conversations, and the people whom he called said they did not remember talking to him for so long.

“Without proper documentation” the inspector general reported that was unable to determine whether Doody’s activity logs were accurate.

In a response to the report, Doody wrote that he submitted the logs on a “summary basis” rather than a “minute-by-minute” basis.

Hulbert said he has “double-checked” to ensure those logs are now being fully monitored by Carroll Falcon, Nicholls Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The inspector general’s investigation stems from allegations made in May by Anne Parr, an assistant professor at the Culinary Institute, according to her attorney Louis Koerner.

University documents say Parr registered a list of complaints with administrators May 14. Less than a week later, Parr was notified by Doody that her contract would not be renewed. She still works at the university as part of a mandated one-year grace period.

Koerner said Parr feels she was wrongly let go. Parr is now involved in an ongoing internal Nicholls hearing to determine whether her contract was not renewed for reasons related to her “whistle-blowing.”

As part of the hearing, Parr submitted a 30-page narrative of grievances dating back to 2005. Throughout that time, Parr claims instances of discrimination and administrative misconduct against culinary institute staff and administrators as well as Nicholls administrators.

Koerner said he expects the hearing to conclude today or Wednesday.

University officials declined to comment on Parr’s hearing, citing it as an ongoing personnel matter.

Parties on all sides made it clear that John Folse, namesake of the Nicholls culinary institute, was in no way targeted by the investigation or involved in the allegations of improper conduct.

<p>THIBODAUX  The head of Nicholls State’s cooking school may have violated ethics laws and university policies by using the program’s resources to cater his stepdaughter’s wedding reception, the state inspector general alleges.</p><p>In response, university administrators said they plan to ask the state Ethics Board for a ruling on whether any laws were broken.</p><p>Inspector General Stephen Street, in a report posted Monday on his office’s Web site, alleges Alton Doody, dean of the John Folse Culinary Institute, may have improperly used university resources for personal reasons.</p><p>The report says Doody used school kitchens, equipment, faculty and students to provide food at his step-daughter’s May 2008 wedding reception in New Orleans.</p><p>Doody paid for all of the services out of his own pocket, according to the inspector general.</p><p>But Louisiana law prohibits public employees from accepting anything of economic value for work related to their state jobs.</p><p>The reception work may have also violated both Nicholls and University of Louisiana System policies, the report says. Nicholls policy prohibits the use of the university’s name, facilities or equipment for personal gain. Both Nicholls and its college system require that university employees disclose outside employment in writing, something that wasn’t done in this case.</p><p>In written responses, Doody and Nicholls President Stephen Hulbert both said one reason for the New Orleans event was to advance Nicholls’ reputation in that city.</p><p>It seemed like a very positive way to showcase the culinary institution, Hulbert said. But in the final analysis, that doesn’t make it right. We’ve got to determine with the Board of Ethics whether or not it was appropriate to do that.</p><p>University administrators chose to request a decision from the Ethics Board rather than accepting recommendations made in the state inspector general’s report.</p><p>The report calls for action against Doody and the culinary-school faculty members he allegedly paid for wedding-reception services. Those employees are Randolph Cheramie, George Kaslow, Donald Kasten and John Kozar.</p><p>Here are the inspector general’s five recommendations:</p><p>n University administratrors should consider taking disciplinary action against Doody, Cheramie, Kaslow, Kasten and Kozar.</p><p>n Cheramie, Kaslow, Kasten and Kozar should return the money they received for catering the reception.</p><p>n Nicholls should ensure that its employees know they aren’t allowed to use university property for personal gain or receive outside money for work related to their school duties.</p><p>n Nicholls should ensure its employees know about and understand the paperwork that discloses such outside payments.</p><p>n Nicholls employees should ensure the tasks they are asked to perform fall within their official duties. If employees have doubts, they should seek guidance from university officials.</p><p>In a news release, Nicholls officials say some of these changes have already been made following an internal audit after they first heard of the allegations in May.</p><p>For that reason, the university administration agrees with the general findings of the Office of the Inspector General but not necessarily ... with some of the Inspector General’s interpretations of these facts, Nicholls’ administration said in a news release issued Monday.</p><p>Some of the changes include a request by Hulbert that the university’s internal auditor investigate employee habits with forms disclosing payments from outside the university. Nicholls officials also said they are committed to educating employees about personal use of university resources and outside payments.</p><p>Hulbert said if the Board of Ethics decides that payments to the four university faculty members were illegal and inappropriate, then the university will require them to return the money and ensure the appropriate disciplinary action is taken.</p><p>The inspector’s report also includes the results of an investigation into Doody’s time sheets.</p><p>Doody is frequently away from campus. According to the report, he is sometimes allowed to work from his home in New Orleans as well as his summer home in Michigan.</p><p>Because of these circumstances, Doody developed a plan with university administrators to track his work hours through time sheets and activity logs.</p><p>Between June 9 and Aug. 15, Doody recorded 81.5 hours on the phone, including some conversations lasting up to three hours. Doody could not provide phone records to prove these conversations, and the people whom he called said they did not remember talking to him for so long.</p><p>Without proper documentation the inspector general reported that was unable to determine whether Doody’s activity logs were accurate.</p><p>In a response to the report, Doody wrote that he submitted the logs on a summary basis rather than a minute-by-minute basis.</p><p>Hulbert said he has double-checked to ensure those logs are now being fully monitored by Carroll Falcon, Nicholls Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.</p><p>The inspector general’s investigation stems from allegations made in May by Anne Parr, an assistant professor at the Culinary Institute, according to her attorney Louis Koerner.</p><p>University documents say Parr registered a list of complaints with administrators May 14. Less than a week later, Parr was notified by Doody that her contract would not be renewed. She still works at the university as part of a mandated one-year grace period.</p><p>Koerner said Parr feels she was wrongly let go. Parr is now involved in an ongoing internal Nicholls hearing to determine whether her contract was not renewed for reasons related to her whistle-blowing.</p><p>As part of the hearing, Parr submitted a 30-page narrative of grievances dating back to 2005. Throughout that time, Parr claims instances of discrimination and administrative misconduct against culinary institute staff and administrators as well as Nicholls administrators.</p><p>Koerner said he expects the hearing to conclude today or Wednesday.</p><p>University officials declined to comment on Parr’s hearing, citing it as an ongoing personnel matter.</p><p>Parties on all sides made it clear that John Folse, namesake of the Nicholls culinary institute, was in no way targeted by the investigation or involved in the allegations of improper conduct.</p><p>Staff Writer Daniel McBride can be reached at 850-1148 or</p><p>daniel.mcbride@houmatoday.com.</p>